GAMER LOUNGE 20XX (NO CASUALS!!)

[Kriven]

I think the only thing people dislike about using Amiibo for stuff like that, is locking part of the actual game away behind a secondary piece of hardware, when it should be available from the main purchase.

Like as in, no one would complain if it were just aesthestic things that Amiibos unlocked, like outfits, alternate skins or whatever.  But when you completely shut out people who legitimately bought the game at full retail price, from finishing the game, or otherwise accessing content that's available on the disc because they don't own another piece of hardware, that's pretty shitty.  DLC is a different ballgame, since it's...well, when done properly, just extra stuff you can get for the game, on top of the COMPLETE game.

Mini Mario and Friends is free though.

In which case it doesn't apply to this game.  But any game where it'd be sold for some price, people expect to be able to play from start to finish with the purchase, rather than being gimped at some point until they buy some peripheral.

I agree with you, which is why I didn't get into Skylanders/Disney Infinity until I started finding them at Gamestop for a buck a piece (and the portals for three). The idea of paying for both the game and twenty-hundred components to make the game operate are absurd to me... But I've always thought that a Free-to-Download model where the developer's make their money not from the game but from the toys (which is what this Mini-Mario game is doing) would be the ideal model. Actually, come to think of it, the first Disney Infinity was Free-to-Download on the eShop when I got that as well...

For me the ideal Amiibo Economy would be multiple F2D (don't... don't mix that order up, guys) games that take substantial advantage of the Amiibo in some way (with the option to play through significant portions of the game using Mii characters). So the games don't cost a penny themselves, and if you only care about being Mario, you go out and buy only Mario.

But no, charging for both game and toys is nefarious. You're right.